Blog2018 ≫ Transfer music to Fitbit Versa without itunes or windows media player?

Yeah good luck with that!

So far, not sure I would recommend this fitbit watch to anyone. I bought it because I want my music and podcasts with me when out on a run without having to take the phone with me. Man alive do they not make this easy. Go to the watch and it says see the phone app. Go to the phone app and it says go to the desktop. Go to the desktop dashboard and they say go to the app... Oh, they mean a desktop app another piece of software to install on the computer. Work computer, not that convenient but I can do that. Then they say "hey you don't have any playlists", I have to make playlists seemingly using only itunes or windows media player (I don't use either of those). Not happy having to accept new terms to get itunes running, then transfer music from my NAS onto the work computer, then make a playlist, then put the phone in to pairing mode. Nope desktop cannot see the phone "do you perhaps have bluetooth enabled on another nearby device?" YES OF COURSE I DO the watch is connected to the phone and the headphones over blueooth, so I have to disconnect those to get the laptop and the watch connecting over bluetooth, even though it's going to use wifi somehow (yeah I had to set up wifi on the watch previously). Then transfer very slowly over some unknown protocol, all the while the watch must be plugged in too, so I can't walk around for risk of missing steps.

The most frustrating thing of all is if I tell anyone about this they'll say "oh it's fine on my iphone and apple watch it just waorks by telepathy" so I have to keep quiet about it.

The one light at the end of the tunnel is that this can all be solved with software updates. I wish Fitbit would just open it up, say "you can ftp to the watch" or something. Direct bluetooth file transfer would not be first choice, but at least it would be another option, but we don't have that either.

Also I tried to use "fitbit wallet" where I can use contactless payment, and no that isn't support by any UK banks yet.

Another thing (that I did know before I bought this) it can only track my run if I also take the phone with me anyway, as the watch doesn't have its own GPS. I knew this, and it does measure my speed and distance and everything find just not the location. This is not a killer for me, and I guess this device is not for a more serious runner, but it is worth a mention here.

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Paul Clarke's weblog - I live in A small town, Kent. Married and dad to two, I'm a full-stack web developr, and I do javascript / Node, some ruby, python, php ect ect. I like pubbing, running, eating, home-automation + other diy stuff, history, family tree stuff, TV, squirrels, pirates, lego, and TIME TRAVEL.